Switch.



PATENTED Amas, 1903. J. L. ALBIEZ, JR. SWITCH.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JAN. 2s, 1903.

z sanne-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.,

UNITED STATES.

`PATENT Futon.

JOHN L.- ALBIEZ, JR., OF WEST HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iletters Patent N0. 726,612, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed January 28, 1903. `Serial No. 140.834. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Bevit known that I, JOHN L. ALBIEZ, Jr., a citizen of the United States of America, residing at West Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in switches, and has for its object to construct a switch which may be made applicable alike for use in connection with street-railways and steam-railways.

Brieiiy described, my invention consists of the laterally-moving bar which is connected to the switch-tongue and which is locked to hold the switch in the position to which it has been moved by wedges engaging in seats provided therefor in the laterally-moving bar. This bar is actuated whereby to move the same laterally through the medium of the pivoted trip placed in proximity tothe rails and adapted to be engaged by mechanism supported from the car or engine.

All of the above construction will be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims, and in describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved switch, showing thetrack partly broken away. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the switch, showing the track in'section and showing the actuating means carried by the car for operating the switch. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of a portion of a car, showing the operating means carried thereby. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the switch embodying the same principle, involving slight changes, as required to adaptthe same for use on steamrailroads. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of this form of construction. Fig.V 7 is a diagrammatical plan view showing the position of the trips as they will be located where the switch is joined to a curved track.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the switch is particularly adapted for use in streetrailways. In this form of `construction I provide a saddle-plate 1, provided with upwardly-extending lugs or standards 2, in which is pivoted centrally of its length the tilting operating-bar 3. The switch mechanism in this construction is mounted between and below two ofthe ties, and the saddle-plate 1 is provided near each end with upwardly-extending guides 4 4. Operatingl in this saddle-plate between the guides 4 and upwardly-extending lugs or standards 2 is a switch-bar 5, which slides on rollers 6, journaled in the Vsaddle-plate 1. This switch-bar 5 is provided with upwardlyextending arms 7, to one of which the switchtongue 8 is connected, whereby the latter will be operated,as the switch-bar 5 is shifted laterally to the track. The switch-bar is provided near its ends -with angle-faces 9 10, and the tilting bar 3 is provided with downwardly-extending projections or arms ll 12, provided with inclined faces 14, adapted to respectively engage with the inclined faces 9 10. r[`he tilting bar 3 is also provided at its endswith upwardly-extending trips 15 16, which are adapted to be engaged by mechanism supported from the car or eng-ine, whereby to tilt the bar 3 and move the switchbar 5 laterally. When the switch bar is shifted laterally, means is also provided for locking the same in this position until the v opposite end of the bar 3 is depressed, whereby to move the switch in the opposite direction. To-this end I provide the switch-bar 5 with recesses 17, and secured to the bar 3 studs or pins -1 8, which carry wedges 19 19 on their lower ends, these wedges being so connected to the pins 18 as to give lost 1notion between the heads of the pins and the Suitable operating mechan f wedges 19 19. ism may be attached to the car for engagement with the trips 15 16, the present illustration showing the operating-levers 20 21, one at each side of the car, which aremounted on trunnion-poles 22, connectedat a suitable point to the car. On the car I also preferably employ the abutment-brackets 23, whereby to hold the lever in the vertical position for engagement with the trips 15 16. With this construction of operating device the levers 2O 21, when vertical, are in position to engage with the trips 15 16, and when IOO the upper ends of the levers are pulled rearwardly, so as to incline the levers, the lower ends thereof are free to pass the trips without engaging the same. These operating-levers may be held in the retracted or inoperative position by the catch 24, of any suitable form of construction.

In operation we will assume that it is desired to open the switch, the same being closed, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The operating-lever 2O is released from its catch, whereby it will assume a vertical positiou in order to engage with trip 15, forcing the inclined face 14: of the lug or arm ll in engagement with the inclined face 9 of the bar 3, simultaneously moving the inclined face or arm 12 away from the inclined face l0 of the bar 5. As the bar 5 is shifted over, due to the pressure of arm 11 on the inclined face 9, the locking-wedge 19' is elevated out of its recess and locking-wedge 19 descends into its recesses, whereby to lock the switchbar 5 with the wedge in the open position to prevent the accidental closing thereof.

I have also shown the form of construction particularly adapted for use on steam-railways, and in this construction I also employ a laterallymoving switch-bar, to which the movable members 25 26 of the switch-rails are connected. This laterally moving switchbar 27 is mounted to be reciprocated in the saddle 28, provided with extended lugs or standards 29, in the upper end of which are journaled the rollers 30 for the upper face of the bar'27 to operate against. This bar 27 on its ends is provided with cam or inclined faces 3l 32, and near each end has an opening 33, one wall of which is inclined andthe other wall of which is vertical. These openings 33 are adapted to receive the switch-locks 34 35, suitably supported and having vertical movement, whereby when the bar 27 is shifted in one direction one ofthe wedge-locks will drop into locking position and the other wedge-lock will be elevated, and when the bar 27 is shifted in the opposite direction the positions of the wedge-locks will be reversed. The bar 27 of this construction is actuated by means of the tilting levers or bars 3l' 35, each of which has a bar-engaging shoe or block 36, provided with an inclined face 37 to engage, respectively, with the inclined faces 3l 32 of the bar 27. These tilting bars or levers 34' 35 are pivotally mounted in a suitable sup- Vport 3S, and each of the bars or levers has an upwardly-extending trip 39 so positioned with respect to the rails of the track as t-o be engaged by the operating-levers (not shown) carried by the car or engine. /Vith this construction, assuming, as shown in Fig. 6 ofthe drawings, that it is desired to open the switch, whereby to move the switch-rail 2G against the main rail and the switch-rail 25 away from the opposite main rail, the operating-lever (not shown) will be lowered to engage the proper trip 39, whereby to actuate the tilting bar or lever to throw the switch-block 36 against the inclined face 32 to move the bar 27 laterally, carrying the switch-rails therewith. By this operation the switch-lock 35 is elevated and switch-lock 34 drops into its opening 33 to lock the switch-bar against accidental lateral movement until it is actuated by the operating mechanism.

As diagrammatically shown in Fig. 7, it will be seen that the trips 39 will when the switch is joined in the main track on a curve be in somewhat different relation to the track, the trips 39 on the outside of the track being a greater distance away from the track than ordinarily, and the trips on the inner side of the track will extend underneath and upwardly on the inside of said track,`the reason for which being that the trip-lever carried by the engine will be somewhat in advance of the forward truck, and therefore necessitating the change as above mentioned.

It will be observed that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a switch, a saddle arranged underneath the road-bed, rollers carried by said saddle, a switch-bar movable upon said rollers and connected to the switch-rail, a tilting operatinglever adapted when actuated to move the switch-bar laterally, and wedge-locks adapted for engagement with the switch-bar to hold the same in the position to which it has been moved, substantially as described.

2. In a switch, a saddle, rollers journaled therein, a laterally-movable bar operating ou said rollers and having inclined faces, a tilting bar adapted for engagement with said in clined faces at each end of the switch-bar, locking means for engagement with said switch-bar, and means for actuating the tilting bar, substantially as described.

3. In a switch, the combination with a saddle, a switch-bar movable longitudinally in said saddle, and provided at the ends with inclined faces, a tilting bar having inclined faces for engagement with the inclined faces of the switch-bar whereby to shift the latter as the tilting bar is actuated, switch-locks for engagement with the switch-bar, and means carried by the car for engagement with the tilting bar to actuate the latter and move theswitch-bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN L. ALBIEZ, JR.

Witnesses:

A. M. WILSON, E. E. POTTER.'

IOC

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